1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to appliances for baking foods, particularly appliances for baking waffles and the like, and specifically to a stackable waffle iron apparatus for use within a conventional residential kitchen oven.
2. Background Art
Waffle irons have been known for decades. In the function and use of a typical waffle iron, a top gridiron component is placed in parallel confronting relation with a bottom gridiron, with a food batter (or other food item) pressed between the gridirons. The parallel gridirons are then heated to bake the batter to a finished food item, such as a waffle. The gridirons may be heated internally, as by electrically resistive coils, or the entire waffle iron apparatus may be placed in an oven for baking. Many known waffle irons have the two gridirons pivotally connected together, such that the two gridiron components are always connected, but can be swung between an open position where the components are substantially separated, and a closed position for baking in which the gridirons are situated substantially adjacent and parallel.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0283334 to Ho has to do with a waffle iron device that has a pair of iron plates between which a griddle element may be inserted.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0094043 to Morgan discloses dome mold baking assemblies having a pair of baking sheets, with one sheet seating on top the other for baking a batter between the sheets.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0089162 to Lorence et al. seems to disclose a type of stackable muffin pan.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0073855 to Gambino et al. appears to disclose a waffle iron with specialized inter-lockable gridirons.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,654 to Lampi, et al, discloses a flanged pan with a flanged lid connected thereto by a hinge, to permit foods to be cooked in quantity in a convection oven. A system is disclosed for vertically stacking a plurality of the pans.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,967 to Herting appears to teach a method of making a waffle in a press having closeable top and bottom halves; the entire press can be put in an oven to bake the waffle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,650 to Weigle teaches a type of dual-level waffle baking appliance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,918 to Carbon, deceased et al. discloses a double baker for waffles, having a pair of outer shell members hinge-connected to a double-faced single inner shell member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,116,688 is for another type of dual-level waffle iron.
However, the waffle irons known in the art are limited in their utility in that the pair of gridirons is pivotally but permanently connected, which reduces versatility and may inhibit effective cleaning. Alternatively, other known devices may have mutually detachable gridirons, but which are configured in manners which prevent stacked storage.
Moreover, most frequently encountered home-use waffle irons are electrically powered for heating, and devised for use upon a kitchen countertop. A common drawback to most electric waffle irons is limited waffle production; the appliance bakes one to four waffle servings at a time. Thus, when a family or other group of more than just one or two individuals gathers for a breakfast or other meal, the group often must wait while waffles are consecutively baked in a series of productions. This may be undesirable if the preference of the group is to eat together a complete meal of fresh, hot, waffles without having to wait for serial production of waffle servings from a small electric appliance.
Against the foregoing background, the present invention was developed.
Like label numerals are used to denote like elements in all the figures.